Vegyészeti Múzeum
A specialist museum on the second floor of Thury Castle in Várpalota, presenting the history, instruments and laboratory equipment of Hungarian chemistry and the chemical industry.
Have only individual sections read aloud
About the museum
The organisation of the museum began in 1961, and it received its operating licence in 1963. The collection was first housed in Budapest; in 1969 it moved to Várpalota, into some restored rooms of Thury Castle. The town is one of the rural centres of the Hungarian chemical industry, which is why it was chosen. The castle, built in the early 14th century and declared part of the national heritage, has been renovated over several decades alongside the museum's operation.
The Vegyészeti Múzeum (Chemistry Museum) is the only independent specialist museum in Hungary and the region that collects the memorabilia of Hungarian chemistry and the chemical industry. Today it operates as a branch institution of the Magyar Műszaki és Közlekedési Múzeum (Hungarian Museum of Science, Technology and Transport), on the second floor of Thury Castle.
The exhibition presents the industry in four parts: it traces back to alchemy and early chemical technologies, commemorates the periods of development of Hungarian chemistry and the chemical industry, explains the role of measurement and computing in the chemical industry, and in the laboratory room presents the tools of classical and instrumental analysis. The instrument collection includes mechanical and electronic calculators, an NMR spectrometer, a gas chromatograph and a GIER-type computer.
Highlights
- The only independent specialist museum of chemistry in Hungary
- In a medieval castle building, on the second floor of Thury Castle
- From alchemy to computing: four exhibition sections
- Chemical instruments: NMR spectrometer, gas chromatograph, GIER computer
- Laboratory room with tools of classical and instrumental analysis
Permanent exhibition
- A magyar kémia és vegyipar története – Permanent exhibition in four parts, from alchemy to the development stages of the chemical industry, chemical and computing instruments, and the tools of laboratory analysis.
- Founded
- 1963
- Operated by
- Magyar Műszaki és Közlekedési Múzeum
Admission & discounts
Admission is free.
| Guided tour with prior registration, up to 20 people | HUF 4,000per group |
|---|---|
| Guided tour with prior registration, more than 20 people | HUF 6,000per group |
| Thematic museum lesson (class admission, up to 35 people, 45 minutes) | HUF 15,000per group |
| Complex museum lesson with creative activity (45 minutes) | HUF 750 |
| Museum education session | HUF 500per person |
Admission to the exhibition is free.
Accessibility
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Kids & families
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Getting there & parking
By public transit
Szabadság tér
A few minutes' walk from the Szabadság tér bus stop; direct bus services run between Várpalota and Budapest, and by train it can be reached on the Budapest–Szombathely railway line.
By car, the town can be reached via main road 8. The museum is on the second floor of Thury Castle.
Get directionsAmenities & dining
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Events & venue rental
The museum hasn’t published any information on this.
Plan your visit
| Guided tours | yes |
|---|---|
| School programs | yes |
| Good to know | Visits must be announced in advance (vegyeszetimuzeum@kozlekedesimuzeum.hu). Thematic museum lessons and a career orientation presentation can be organised for school groups. |
